City Won't Slow Traffic At Danger Crossing

By Carl Glassman
POSTED OCTOBER 1, 2007

The city’s Department of Transportation last month turned down a request for a stop light or other “traffic calming” device at the intersection of Greenwich and Duane Streets. It is a crossing long considered dangerous by Tribeca families with young children on their way to and from local schools and Washington Market Park.

Over the years, the DOT has rejected many similar requests by Community Board 1. Friends of Washington Market Park took up the crusade more than two years ago, with the support of a dozen schools and other groups, including Community Board 1.

In the DOT’s long awaited response, Luis Sanchez, the acting borough commissioner, wrote to Friends President Nelle Fortenberry that his agency’s decision was based on a study of “vehicular and pedestrian volumes, accident experience, vehicular speeds, visibility and signal spacing.”

Fortenberry, however, is not taking no for an answer. The park group has launched a petition drive, demanding a stop light at the intersection and imploring the agency to “look beyond traditional Warrants Requirements to find a safe solution for all who attempt to cross here.” She anticipates gathering signatures “in the thousands.”

“We’ve been waiting two years for them to say yes or no to our request and they have turned us down,” Fortenberry told the park’s board at its meeting last month. “I think that is what’s going to really ignite the community behind this.”

Called the Tribeca Kids Safety Zone Initiative, the drive is co-sponsored by the PTAs of P.S. 234 and P.S. 150, two Downtown Jewish community groups, six preschools and the Independence Plaza Tenants Association.

Charles Komanoff, a member of the Friends board and author of “Killed by Automobile,” a 1999 study of New York City traffic deaths, said he questions the city’s study because it is based on a walking speed (2.7 miles per hour) that he believes is double that of many toddlers and seniors.  “Based on what we’ve seen so far, DOT’s conclusion that there are sufficient gaps in traffic to allow for safe crossing depends on unrealistic walking speeds,” he said. “I think that’s going to be our ticket to overturning their analysis.”

DOT spokesman Craig Chin offered little hope that the agency would change its mind any time soon. “Traffic volumes and patterns usually don’t change overnight,” he said, adding that only a new study with different results would likely reverse the agency’s position.

In his letter to Fortenberry, the DOT’s Sanchez did acknowledge one danger near the intersection: diagonally parked delivery trucks outside the Food Emporium block the view of oncoming traffic for pedestrians crossing Greenwich Street. A “Parallel Parking Only” sign went up and traffic agents began writing tickets. But by late last month, compliance was spotty and tractor trailers delivering to the Food Emporium (see photo above) still seemed to have no choice but to jut into the street.

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